'09-'10 Winter CSA Details

Hi All!

Here we are and now it's Fall for sure. Anyone who doubts this can poke their nose outside and it will become clear that I speak the truth. Our brains here at the farm are fully focused on the Winter CSA. Most of our efforts are now directed towards harvesting and storing the fall bounty for the winter. The crew has been pulling in truck load after truck load of beets today, topping them, and putting them in the big walk-in cooler. The chilly weather turns my mind to the rich soups, stews, and roasted root dishes of deep winter. If this sounds steamy and enticing, read on...

A winter CSA is kind of like a step back in time to when railroads and trucks coming from California didn't exist. People ate what was harvested and stored locally. Well, that's what we're doing here! (except we have electricity and plastic). What we eat all winter is what we grow and store in the summer. To that goal we have built a walk-in cooler, and put up 3 big unheated greenhouses.

The Winter CSA vegetables are as follows: Each distribution we guarantee potatoes, carrots, beets, kale, salad greens, parsnips, garlic, and either onions or leeks. In addition, each distribution will also consist of a mixture of the following: celeriac, cabbage, winter squash, radishes, diakons, rutabagas, and turnips. We aim to give out about 10-11 items per distribution. The distributions are every other week on Wednesdays from 3-7 at the Hazelnut Kitchen www.hazelnutkitchen.com in downtown Trumansburg. See exact distribution dates below. The distributions are much like the summer in that members box their own share. We are able to do a little mix and match - but that is somewhat limited because we are working with stored produce. If you miss a distribution you can pick up a double share at the next distribution. A note about the greens and kale. These are precious when grown in Central NY for the winter. They are not limitless and it takes a lot of effort, money, and skill to produce them. We love offering them to the winter CSA but they are not offered in quantities like the summer CSA. They are the sugar on the top.

The Hazelnut Kitchen offers a "to-go" menu during distribution using ingredients from the winter CSA. We like this particular option and always indulge!

If you wish to sign up - visit the farm website - www.sweetlandfarm.org and download a form to send or bring in to the farm, or just bring your money to a distribution and use the brochures in the distribution shed to sign up. The cost of this year's Winter CSA is $275 - the same as last year.

All in all the winter csa is a great way to eat locally and support your local farmers though the winter. We think that the distributions at the Hazelnut are a bustling, warm, fun way to spend our evening. We love it and hope that you do too!`

Thanks,

Evangeline